Independent Standard-Setting Boards

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board sets high-quality international standards for auditing, assurance, and quality control that strengthen public confidence in the global profession.

The International Accounting Education Standards Board establishes standards, in the area of professional accounting education, that prescribe technical competence and professional skills, values, ethics, and attitudes.

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board develops standards, guidance, and resources for use by public sector entities around the world for preparation of general purpose financial statements.

Speeches & Presentations

by Ian Ball, IFAC Chief Executive

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Professional Accountants in Business: An International Perspective

Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you today. It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to be back here in Dubai for this conference. A significant proportion - well over 50 percent - of the members of IFAC's 160 member organizations is employed in business. The more I meet with groups like this one, the more aware I am of the fundamental, but diverse, support our profession provides to thousands, actually millions, of businesses of every size, in every country around the world. The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) has long been a leader of and champion for professional accountants in business and industry. The IMA also has a long history of support of and participation in the international profession.

It has been an active member of IFAC since 1980, and its representatives have served on the IFAC Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee, which is dedicated to supporting and raising awareness of the vital role that you play. Specifically, I would like to recognize Bradley Kaplan, who joined the IFAC PAIB Committee in January 2006, and William Brower, who served on the committee from 2001 to 2005. The service of these and of other volunteer members of IFAC boards and committees is vital to achieving our objectives and to supporting professional accountants in all sectors of the economy worldwide.

The diversity of our profession is, I believe, one of our unrecognized strengths. Because professional accountants in business work in a wide variety of roles, at every level of organizations across all industry sectors, we collectively have a perspective that extends well beyond "the numbers." Professional accountants in business - or PAIBs as we call them at IFAC - understand the drivers behind a business, and therefore play a fundamental role in contributing to the creation of shareholder value. Few other professionals have such a diverse and significant role in the day-to-day operations of businesses and other organizations.

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